1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to business processes and, more specifically, to integrating business processes into a mobile platform.
2. Description of the Background Art
Backend systems have been developed to automate many business processes within the workplace. A simple business process involving the creation of a work order by an employee and the approval or denial thereof by an employer is frequently automated by systems which allow the employee to create an electronic work order for the employer's review.
In many cases, these systems provide helpful e-mails to indicate a status change within the system. For example, when an employee creates a work order, the system may dispatch an e-mail to the employer indicating that a new work order is available in the system. The e-mail may even include some details of the work order, but does not provide any uniform manner in which the employer can readily approve or decline the work order within the e-mail itself. Instead, the employer must log on to the system and use the appropriate interface to approve or decline the work order.
Requiring direct access to the business process system creates several drawbacks. Notable among these drawbacks is the difficulty of accessing the business process system directly from a mobile device. Costly solutions require the development of dedicated client software on the mobile device to interface the business process system directly. Otherwise, a mobile device-equipped employee may have no recourse other than to return to the office in order to directly access the business process system.
The inability to use mobile devices effectively to automate interaction with business process systems is inefficient. Accordingly, what is desired is a means to interface with a backend system from a mobile device in an efficient and economical manner.